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Let Us Give Thanks on Veterans DayBy Bob BlackPresident, State Bar of Texas

For Veterans Day last year, I volunteered at a legal advice clinic
to help veterans in my hometown of Beaumont. More than 30 lawyers
assisted about 100 veterans. In chatting with other volunteers, I
learned that two of the lawyers – professionals I have known and
respected for years – lost their fathers in Vietnam. They were
volunteering to honor their fathers, who made the ultimate sacrifice
for our country. As we honor all who have served this Veterans Day, let
us be mindful of the many men and women, and their families, who have
made great sacrifices in duty to our country.

Last year, Terry Tottenham of Austin initiated the State Bar of
Texas program, Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, while serving
as State Bar president. The primary goal of Texas Lawyers for Texas
Veterans is to ensure that veterans and their families who
otherwise cannot afford legal help have access to legal information and
to legal representation through pro bono legal clinics and other
resources. I am equally committed to Texas Lawyers for Texas
Veterans and to seeing the initiative continue to grow, as it is a
program that changes lives.

Many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are returning from
active duty to find themselves out of work, facing a divorce or child
custody battle, or having trouble affording a place to live. They may
also be facing an uphill climb in obtaining the benefits they have
earned and have nowhere else to turn. Veterans from World War II,
Korea, or Vietnam may be dealing with their own disability claims —
some with decades’ worth of paperwork — or need help with other
concerns but are on limited incomes.

In all of these areas, Texas lawyers in diverse practice areas are
volunteering their expertise and time through Texas Lawyers for
Texas Veterans to assist veterans and their families to get the
legal answers and results they need and deserve.

Since the program’s inception, more than 40 local bar
associations across the state, many in partnership with legal aid
organizations, have established veterans legal clinics. To date, more
than 5,000 veterans have received some form of legal assistance at a
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans clinic, and that number
continues to climb. The State Bar has also partnered with the Texas
Veterans Commission and other veterans service providers. A weekly
veterans legal clinic is held in Houston at the Michael DeBakey VA
Hospital, and monthly clinics are well established in Austin, Dallas,
Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Clinics have also been held in El Paso,
Lubbock, Midland-Odessa-Big Spring, Beaumont, Galveston, Bastrop,
Temple-Belton-Killeen, Denton, and Hidalgo County, among other
locations.

Last November, to commemorate Veterans Day, 20 veterans legal advice
clinics were held throughout the state. More than 600 veterans received
legal assistance from nearly 300 volunteer attorneys. A similar effort
on the part of local bar associations and legal aid organizations is
being made in honor of this Veterans Day as well. To learn more about
when clinics and events are scheduled, visit
www.texasbar.com/veterans.

As with my colleagues in Beaumont, many attorneys have family
members who currently serve or have served, or they may be veterans
themselves. By participating in the Texas Lawyers for Texas
Veterans program, they get the chance to express their gratitude
to those who have defended our country. Let us all think about how we
can give our thanks and assistance to those who have served our country
and those who love and honor them.

Bob Black is president of the State Bar of Texas.
He is managing shareholder of MehaffyWeber, a law firm with offices in
Houston and Beaumont.